I can see your point, though the dehydration rules were something we always ignored or forgot about anyways.

I think it could work, if done right. 4e’s main resources (potions, magical items) are things that existed in Dark Sun as well. The only difference there is that in Dark Sun they mostly came from ancient civilizations. (As such, there would be no magic item shops that sold more than potions.)

And overt heroism is part of what Dark Sun is all about. The novels, especially. It’s not just wasteland survival, it’s surviving, thriving, and making things better for everyone else through your deeds.

Personally, I think 3e’s over-reliance on resources (potions, wands, etc) made it a far worse system for the setting (in retrospect). If done right, I think 4e could be far better in that regard.